Brazil

Recognizing false claims and fake videos shared on social media is a challenge for U.S. voters as the 2026 midterm elections approach. That is why Lead Stories and several other fact-checking organizations active in North America are joining forces in a first-of-its-kind collaboration: a joint newsletter sharing their best election-related work. It features an overview of fact check articles that…

Have you seen a viral video showing a beautiful policewoman asking for engagement or friendship, a simple "Hello" or a follow? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such videos recently and has found that many of them were created using artificial intelligence. They do not show real people or situations although the videos are produced for audiences in several…

Did New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani only put Iran's flag on New York subway trains? No, that's not true: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which serves New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York State, and Connecticut, decorated trains to represent each of the 48 countries competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Each train features the colors of a competing…

Does a video show Japanese soccer fans "destroy stadium after defeat by Brazil"? No, that's not true: The video has been reversed -- when played forward it shows scenes of Japanese fans collecting litter after the match with the Netherlands. This footage predates the June 29, 2026, match with Brazil, and was already circulating online after the match with the…

Does the opening clip of a video with a screaming woman in a hot air balloon show footage from the accident in Brazil where an "entire family" was killed? No, that's not true: That clip shows Casey Cleaver during a different hot air balloon ride, not the accident in Brazil. The remaining footage in the video does show the real…

Does a real video show the hands of hundreds of people who were buried alive in Sudan? No, that's not true: The content detection tool at Hive Moderation determined the video was 81.6% likely to be AI-generated. A visual analysis by Lead Stories found that many of the hands pictured were malformed in a way characteristic of AI-generated content. An…

Does a photo show a man from Gaza buried in concrete by Israeli soldiers? No, that's not true: Social media posts using this same picture first claimed in May 2026 it was linked to a murder in Brazil by a criminal gang. Lead Stories found no credible news reports or other reliable evidence confirming that Israeli soldiers did this to…

Does a viral video really show fans filming Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr. in the restroom? No, that's not true: Facial recognition software says it's a different person. The video features a lookalike who has spent nearly four years impersonating the soccer player. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published by @Nowfootball on X on May 20, 2026.…

Is a video that shows an elderly Michael Jackson sitting on a bus in Brazil legitimate? No, that's not true: The video was originally posted by an account with a bio that states it is an artificial intelligence portal. An AI-generated content detection tool rated the video 94.2% likely to be AI-generated. Jackson died in 2009 and Lead Stories obtained…

Does a viral video capture a real fight between Brazilian soccer players Neymar and Robinho Júnior? No, that's not true: The clip contained glitches typical of AI-generated content. Neymar was not part of that soccer club when the video's timestamp suggested the incident took place. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on May 5, 2026.…